


The Centre Of Me

by Maggie1967



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Johnlock Fluff, M/M, Parentlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 18:06:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1162846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maggie1967/pseuds/Maggie1967
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John has a grown up daughter.<br/>She doesn't come home all night after a party.<br/>Sherlock deduces her movements.<br/>John's daughter deduces the state of the relationship between her dad and 'Uncle' Sherlock.<br/>her childhood teddy was named after Moriarty<br/>Mycroft,Greg,Molly and Irene are the aunts and uncles ...</p><p>if any of that interests you then read on!...:D</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Centre Of Me

The Centre of Me  
\--------------------  
John stood with hands on hips and a steely stare that focused on the girl in front of him.The girl with dip dyed hair and a concealed tattoo only her and Sherlock knew about.

"Where have you been? We’ve have been worried sick about you."

"What you and ‘Uncle’ Sherlock.I’m sure you had other things to amuse you both in my absence."

The young girl smirked as she casually thumbed through the mail that rested near the entrance to the flat.Her distraught looking fathers face had changed from anger and worry to absolute confusion.

"What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like.I overheard Mrs Hudson talking to her friend next door.She was telling her about the early days before Mum, when you and him ‘experimented’ a lot and she didn’t mean with his microscope.It was a different type of chemistry and biology you both specialised in.She completely confirmed my suspicions."

John reddened in the face as his next words tumbled out much too quickly.

"The thing about Mrs Hudson.The thing you have to remember about Mrs Hudson is……"

John was cut off by his smug looking daughter.She seemed to have the uncanny ability to say exactly what she meant as quickly and emotionless as possible.She reminded him of someone.Someone tall and ethereal with thick curly black hair.His influence was becoming more evident in her as she became older and he wasn’t sure he liked it.It made it harder for him to focus on staying mad at her.

"I spend my life staying at Uncle Greg’s and Aunt Molly’s cause you two are constantly away on ‘business’ .I’ve heard them talk.I’ve heard everyone talk about everything.I’m old enough to read and see the papers and google stuff.I know more than you think about who you both are,who mum was and what you all get up to.I’m too old to hide it from now.I’ve grown up.Not sure I can say the same about you two.Bounding around London, playing cops and robbers to all hours of the night.I don’t get to stand at any doors tapping my feet and worrying about you do I? Hypocrite!"

"What are you both talking about?"

Sherlock sauntered into the living room in his housecoat,looking like he had just been woke up and therefore inconvenienced by this newest Watson argument playing out in front of him.He flopped himself down on his chair and rested his arms on his legs, whilst looking from one to the other but not really seeming all that interested in the topic being discussed or what one if any would answer his query.

“Mrs Hudson being a lunatic.” 

“You and dad ‘experimenting’ sexually on each other”

Sherlock’s face remained unreadable as he listened to both Watson’s simultaneously answer him. Sherlock thought that if he wished to remain in John’s good books,it would be best to reply to his response and not the girls.

"Ahhh.Quite.She’s completely and utterly stark raving mad.Only person in London to ever let me away with shooting walls when I was bored or inviting serial killers into Baker Street on a whim."

Sherlock smiled and winked affectionately at John’s daughter before bounding across the living room,grabbing his laptop and wandering to the table with his microscope,slides and various specimens.He was glad he couldn’t see Johns face when his daughter spoke her next words. If he had, he was sure he would have saw the Vatican cameos expression fixed there.

"What like mum you mean?"

John was now directly behind were Sherlock sat and leaning closely to whisper in his ear.

"Sherlock,I’m going to kill that mad woman downstairs…."

"You’ll do no such thing John Watson.Mad woman or not we both know what I did to the last person who tried to hurt her."

"What did you do Uncle Sherlock?"

"Well…you know that window over there…"

The discussion was interrupted by the anger erupting from the doctor smashing pots and pans around in the Kitchen.

I’m going to go down there and strangle the old…your mum was a great woman she was not…NOT..a serial killer.Your mum was working for the CIA before you were born.That’s all anyone needs to know.”

" That before or after she shot Uncle Sherlock?Got that little gem from Aunt Molly."

John flung his hands up in the air in exasperation as Sherlock swung round quickly from his seating position to fix his eyes on the child studying him.

" That was a misunderstanding between me and your mother nothing more."

"Uncle Sherlock you nearly died!"

"Exaggerated somewhat by Aunt Molly.She does that Cheryl."

"That’s another thing.I’m named after you aren’t I?Cheryl…Sherlock..Another example to add to my,’are my uncle and dad secretly shagging one another?’list.My yes column is bursting to capacity by the way …."

Sherlock smirked as John began to go red with embarrassment again,as he incoherently stuttered out another pathetic response.

"Where….where…where did you hear that type of language Cheryl Watson!"

"I’m 16.I’m an adult."

"Debatable."

“More of an adult than you Uncle Sherlock.”

"Accurate."

Sherlocks eyes had never left his slides throughout their little verbal battle.John’s daughters eyes had never left him since the minute he entered the room.

"I know about stuff now, no thanks to you two!Thank God for Aunt Irene."

John was ferociously scrubbing the kitchen table top now as some sort of anger deflection tactic.

"I will never forgive you for phoning Irene and not Molly to do that talk with her Sherlock."  
"it seemed logical.More so than Molly."

Sherlock had catalogued what he needed to and was now moving to stand beside John in the kitchen,his aim being how to safely remove the cleaning products from his bloggers hands.

"Really…logical to phone the dominatrix in our lives to have, ’ the tAlk’ , with OUR sixteen year old daughter…"

"Our sixteen year old daughter…..mentally adding that to the yes section ."

John suddenly realised that all of this was not helping them get to the bottom of the present mystery they were faced with.

"Anyway stop trying to change the subject! Where were you last night?"

Cocky to terrified in 0.5 seconds Sherlock noted but said nothing.Until she started lying that was…

"It was late after the party so me and Brianna."

"No you didn’t."

"Me and Brianna said GOODBYE to one another then I went to Rosie’s."

"Wrong."

"Listen, contrary to what rain man over there says Dad,THAT’S WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!"

John looked at Sherlock and it was enough for Sherlock to realise that Vatican Cameos it was then.

"Sherlock."

"Yes John."  . “Do it”

"Thought you’d never ask."

Sherlock looked gleeful as he glided towards Cheryl and guided her confused looking self into the client chair.John took his seat and Sherlock preceded to circle her like a vulture.She looked terrified.’She should be’,John thought inwardly as he watched Sherlock read her every move in the last 24 hours.

"Okay let’s see.You said you were at Rosie’s house last night but the clothes you are wearing have been worn all night.If you had stayed with Rosie,she would have given you a change of clothes as she has done in the past when you have actually stayed there."

John took a deep and relieved breath.

"Just to clarify Sherlock those clothes haven’t at any point,any of them, left her body since she left this house last night"

"Yes John that is correct."

"Thank God for that."

Realising that the topic of conversation was now focusing on her sex life, or lack of one,she became livid at her dad and Sherlock.

"Ewww!My God!How lame are you dad!That’s disgusting you would ever even think…..you are both complete freaks …"

"So we have been reliably informed on numerous occasions.You didn’t go to Rosie’s so where did you go? You have a distinct smell on your clothes.A smell I know very well as does your dad.John deduce"

John stood up and walked towards his daughter,leaning at her side to smell her jacket.Sherlock was at the other side staring at John and willing him to come up with the answer he had already found.Cheryl could only sit deadly still,mortified at the thought of what these two oddities in her life would discover but equally disgusted at their behaviour.

"I can’t believe you are both sniffing me right now.This is not normal behaviour.This is a case for the social work department.I’m phoning child line the first chance I get."

"Oh good so you are finally admitting you are a child then"?

John could only smirk as Sherlock held his nerve and out stared the death stare of Cheryl.  
Finally, when Sherlock averted his eyes to focus on John,he looked at Sherlock with such confusion that it was enough to satisfy him that John had eventually worked it out.

""Mycroft!s car?What were you doing in your Uncle Mycroft s car?"

Cheryl’s eyes went saucer wide and her cheeks grew red.She began to sweat and fidget in her chair and Sherlock continued to observe every note of interest in her behaviour as he carried on his deduction.

"Clearly from the mood she arrived here in today,it wasn’t by choice to stay detained by Mycroft. So Mycroft or Andrea forced her to get into the car"

John was thoroughly at a loss to comprehend what was going on.

"What is it with them forcing Watson’s into cars?"

Sherlock continued circling ‘the assailant’ as they talked.Cheryl noted that anytime Uncle Mycroft was mentioned,Sherlock would bristle and flinch, his tone would change to ice and his eyes would narrow.Today was not the exception to that rule.

"He does like to stick his fat belly in where it’s not welcome.He clearly was removing her from a particular situation he deemed dangerous,so a boy then.Early hours of this morning.Well before five,i’ll explain that later.Probably one of his drones assigned to her saw something on the security cameras he didn’t like and informed Mycroft.He picked you up but didn’t take you home .Gave you a chance to calm down and sober up clearly."

"I have someone assigned to me.Doesn’t that only happen with royalty?"

"You’re a Holmes now, you ARE royalty."

"I’m a Holmes you say.Adding that to the list."

John had heard drunk and zoned out of the rest of the conversation.Sherlock quickly considered the possibility that he should have ( like the tattoo and piercing now) omitted that from the deduction conversation but decided that it was something John would never forgive him for not revealing if it came out in future in a negative manner.

"Drunk…DRUNK! Bloody hell.Have I not taught you anything?"

"I’m not Aunt Harry Dad ….or Mrs Hudson……"

"She’s really not John.Thankfully.Not displaying any of the key indicators of alcohol addiction.Casual and harmless use expected in most teenage cases but still has a while to go before she can be more mature about alcohol consumption in moderation."

Cheryl shot Sherlock a quick, “Thank you for not being a complete bastard”,glance before abruptly, successfully but rather obviously,attempting again to steer the conversation to someplace other than the fact she was shit faced last night.

"How…how did you possibly know he stopped me walking home with a boy from the party and helped me sober up.How did you get all of that from the state my clothes are in and the smell of Uncle Mycrofts car?It’s not possible!"

"You googled me.You know my methods.What I am.What I do.Therefore entirely possible."  
"I know but ….Jesus…it’s disturbing and amazing all in one."

Sherlock turned his head to John who was looking more and more like he was drowning in the whole conversation.It was either that or the sad expression on his face was him trying desperately to picture the little girl he once knew with the pigtails, comfort blanket and a teddy called Morty ( they had tried to stop her in every way possible but she insisted her teddy was to be called after Moriarty for reasons which were never explained to a sulky looking Sherlock that day).Sherlock was stirred from his thoughts when John roused himself enough to join the present day and focus his eyes back upon Sherlock.

"A long time ago your dad thought the same thing"

"I still do ..occasionally…"

John smiled warmly at Sherlock and it never ceased to amaze him how much one little action could cause his breath to catch in his throat.

"Soppy sentimental statements,followed by lopsided goofy smiles …adding it to my yes column.So why haven’t you never made deductions about me before Uncle Sherlock?"

Sherlock averted his gaze from John and focused his attention back onto the criminal mastermind in front of him who he noted now owned a coat strikingly similar to his own.However he could not fathom why she would purposely choose to adopt his style of dress.

"Oh believe me I have made deductions about you.Many deductions.This is by far the most serious thing you have done to date though, therefore your father has permitted me to voice this one out loud.Your father you see wouldn’t let me before.He said the less he knew the better.I on the other hand have always felt that the more I know the safer you’ll be."

Cheryl in that moment averted her gaze from Sherlock.He assumed it was because of the tears that had began to pool at her eyes.Something he had said had caused a very emotional response.He concluded it must have been the realisation in her that she would never be able to trick and manipulate him like so many of her peer group could with the adults responsible for looking after them.She composed herself in the space of a few seconds and spoke once more.

"How do you do it so well?"

"Simple logic.In this instance there was also the matter of the (at the time) cryptic note ,’you’re welcome’,left by Andrea at the front door today at five.Hate when Mycroft does me a favour.He never asks that I return one but he knows I can’t possibly stand being in his debt for long.Expect me to be gone for a few weeks overseas in the near future."

John was now looming angrily in front of his daughter at the client chair.

"Say sorry to me and Uncle Sherlock."

As if saying sorry had suddenly become the worst thing in the world, or a catalyst to start an explosion, Cheryl leapt up waving her arms ferociously in the air before resting them on her hips.Her next words were screeched in levels that Sherlock was adamant only dogs would be able to hear.

"NO!GOD! WHY SHOULD I?IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ANY PRIVACY WITH ALL OF YOU BREATHING DOWN MY NECK!ESPECIALLY HIM!"

Cheryl bounded across the living room pushing past Sherlock as she went,her long black coat flapping in her wake.John with lightning speed followed quickly behind her raising his voice with every stride.

"You say sorry young lady before…"

SLAM!

"I stand outside your door doing absolutely nothing about it."

He hadn’t the words out before her door was violently shut and locked from the inside.Music began to blare out from her speakers and John could only stand with his jaw clenched and nose pressed up against the outer frame.  
A bemused looking Sherlock stood with his eyes piercing through him,leaning on the opposite door.

"John leave her to calm down.She’ll be a little more reasonable once she’s thought over her actions and the situation in front of her.You have the power to make that her first and last peer group party.She’ll yield."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She’s like her father…shout and react first…think later…much later,then feel remorse and guilt."

John walked towards the kitchen with Sherlock and began preparing the tea.Sherlock merely sat at the table and continued to stare at his fraught looking partner.With tea in hand John placed the two cups next to one another on the counter and sat down close to Sherlock with head in hands.

"How does she know about us Sherlock?We’ve been careful and we…"

I’m just surprised she hasn’t mentioned it sooner,she’s been thinking about saying it to us for three months now but something’s been holding her back.”

"Why didn’t you say anything to me!."

"Didn’t want you panicking."

"What do we do now then?"

Sherlock gripped John’s shoulder as the calmly spoke his next words.

"I have reared that girl up from infancy with you John.Whereas she has your aggression and hot headed ness and her mothers spirit,she also has a little of my perceptiveness,astuteness and cutting attitude to life.Most of all,in that time she has grown up and understands human relationship dynamics and our relationship a little better now.She has eyes John.She studies me everyday and she sees how I look at you.She’s not an idiot."

Upon those words falling from Sherlocks lips,John had unconsciously moved closer to him until their lips were only inches apart.John flicked his eyes from Sherlocks mouth to his eyes and a predatory mischievous smile flashed across his face.He was suddenly becoming aroused and Sherlock was very aware of it.Their legs brushed together under the table as John slid his hand down towards Sherlocks knee and gave it a loving squeeze.They had momentarily forgot about the teenage daughter sulking in the room not far away.John’s voice was rumbling and low when he next spoke.

"And how do you look at me Sherlock Holmes?"

John was now purposely kneading Sherlock knee and ever so gently grazing the side of his thigh, moving further and further up his inside leg.Sherlock’s breathing increased as he leaned further towards John until their lips were almost touching.He moved his hands towards the doctors greyish hair and cupped his head in his hands.When he finally answered his doctor,it was with an honesty and exposed raw passion that John had come to love about him.

"Like you are almost the centre of my universe Dr Watson."

As quickly as he had said it they were fervently kissing one another.John’s hands had now slid to Sherlock waist and he was gripping at the fabric of his lilac shirt and leather belt as their bodies melded into one.As John clung to Sherlock’s back and Sherlock to John’s head, it was easy to forget the thing that stood staring at them in exasperation at the entrance to the kitchen.It was less easy to forget that thing when it coughed several times to gain their attention.

"JUST SO YOU KNOW….Adding this to the very top of the list"

The words were like an ice bath to them.They flung themselves apart, John looking anywhere but at his daughter and Sherlock jumping off the stool, touching his head and spinning around a little before striding to a cupboard and pretending to look for something important.John eventually decided someone would have to speak.

"Calmed down?"

"I’m still angry with you two.Not just about today."

Sherlock popped his head out from behind the cupboard to reply.

"i know and we’re still angry with you."

"Call it even?"

Cheryl stuck her hand out towards Sherlock and waited for him to shake it and finalise the deal.He stared at John and upon seeing his silent nod and waiver,extended his arm out to complete the contract.

"This time."

John sat another cup on the table and Cheryl placed herself opposite the two of them and they all sat in thought, tea getting cold in each of their hands.Cheryl could take the silence for only so long before feeling compelled to speak.

"You have to cut the apron strings a little,both of you.You realise you’ve been smothering me."

Sherlock and John looked at one another as if mentally deciding who would be the one to reply to that.John wiggled his eyebrows at Sherlock,Sherlock widened his eyes and that seemed to be enough for John to be het.

"We care about you.We love you so much.Our lives are dangerous.They always have been.You coming along didn’t change that but it did change how reckless we could sometimes be.We’ve spent most of our life together protecting you from everything and anything that could potentially threaten you."

"And that includes a sixteen year old boy,who wasn’t drinking and was helping me safely home and who likes sci fi and comic book conventions?"

At this Sherlock ceased raising his tea cup to his lips and focused on Cheryl with a determined and steely stare. 

"More than all the mad men out there. Continue to ask us to stop protecting you if you feel you must but it will NEVER happen.There will never be a day that goes by that we will not gladly give our lives or our freedom to ensure your safety and happiness.You’d best get used to that."

His eyes remained on her and hers on his.In that instance Cheryl’s expression changed to one of realisation and happiness.John could only wonder what she had saw in Sherlocks expression to invoke that type of response from her.He didn’t have to wait long. 

"I’ve been thinking about this for a while and now I’ve made my decision.I don’t want to call Sherlock my uncle anymore.I hate calling him my uncle."

Johns eyes snapped to Sherlock, but Sherlock although momentarily wounded,had not flinched at what she said.His eyes simply remained fixed on her as John spoke.

"Listen Sweetheart me and Sherlock are really sorry we didn’t sit you down and explain what we are to one another sooner.This didn’t start whilst your mother was alive.I’ve always loved him …"

"And I him."…

"...but it didn’t change until we started caring for you together."

A minute or two passed before John’s daughter decided to speak again.

"I need to ask Sherlock something important."

Cheryl stood from her seating position and walked round the table slowly until she was directly in front of Sherlock.She leaned down so they were eye level.They only indication that she was nervous about this was the deep breath and pause before the next words came tumbling out at speed.

"Do you love me Sherlock.Like you love my dad?"

Sherlock eyed her strangely, before matter of factly replying.

"No’

John watched as his daughters heart was crushed in front of him.A millisecond more hesitancy from Sherlock would have been enough time for John to have wrapped his hands round Sherlocks neck and strangled the life out of him for wounding her like that.Thankfully this was not needed because as usual,Sherlock was nothing if not surprising.

"I love you more."

And there it was.A face turned from disappointment and heartache to elation in the blink of an eye.From John almost wanting to kill Sherlock to having to restrain himself from hugging him.A weight lifted from Cheryl, she seemed to become more confident to proceed with whatever this was all about.

"Then I can say this now.I don’t want to call you my uncle anymore because you’ve never really been my uncle have you?You lied about Santa Claus for me and wrote intricate scientific theories to convince me that reindeer fly around the world in one night ,even though it took you away from an important case and Uncle Greg was pissed at you for a whole month.You came to all the nativity plays about some guys birth you believe is a fictional character from a poorly written fairytale.You taught violin to my class for a semester when the music teacher was sick because you just knew that even with you at home,it could have effected my grades to not practice everyday.You nearly broke the arm off of a flasher that day you took me to the park when I was eight.You called half of Scotland yard to arrest him and nearly got arrested by Sulky Sally yourself.You tucked me in, told me stories about Moriarty,bandaged my cuts,moved the dead body parts to the spare fridge when my friends came round because you wanted them to be allowed to come back,you brought the body parts out as party decorations at halloween when I was older, so my friends would think I was cool and you watched Scooby Doo with me and never revealed the bad guy until I had given up guessing.  
I guess what I am trying to say is i’m sorry if I ever come across as not caring for you as much as I care for my dad because that’s not the truth. I love you.Uncle Greg,Uncle Mycroft,they are special …..but you’re not like them ..,you’re even more special.You’re my dad.My other dad.I desperately want to call you my dad.I should have had the guts to ask you sooner.I want this to be the last time I say Uncle Sherlock to you.”

She raised herself from the floor and wrapped her hands around him burying her head in his neck.Sherlock in partial shock, had become stone in front of her.Ceasing eye contact had not changed this in the slightest.She barely whispered her question into his ear but it had the effect of having him finally move his arms to reciprocate the hug.

"Uncle Sherlock will you let me call you dad?"

Minutes went by of tight hugging but no reply had fallen from his lips,though a few stray tears had pushed themselves to the surface of his facial skin.He continued to hug Cheryl tightly.Finally she had began to get worried because not a thing had been said.She craned her neck towards John and spoke in a muffled manner.

"Dad is he okay…what’s wrong with him,…it’s getting…..weird…."

John began to laugh as he looked on with pride and love at the two people who mattered most to him in the world.He had craved this day from the first time him and Sherlock had Kissed one another all those years ago……

They had been sitting on the sofa that night with Cheryl drowsily slumped between them.Sherlock had offered to put her to bed for the first time since they had both moved to Baker Street.He lifted her gently from the chair and cradled her,lovingly shushing her to sleep as he walked carefully towards her bedroom.He lowered her into the bed and brushed her hair from her face with his hands and then bent down to place a kiss on her forehead.He whispered in her ear as a final gesture and then began making his way back to the living room.When he turned John was standing staring at him in shock at the doorway.

"You just told her you loved her with all your heart and more than anything else in the world?"

Sherlock looked like he might die right there and then of embarrassment when he realised his heart had been cut open and the one person he hid it so fiercely from could now see how hard it bled for him and his daughter.He could hardly meet Johns eyes that night,so John had forced him to by tilting his friends head upwards and holding it at eye level to his.Sherlocks voice had come out pained and weak.

"Yes."

John stroked Sherlocks face as he whispered words in a forced breathless manner.

"You don’t love like that.You’re not programmed that way.You said it yourself."

Sherlock inched closer to John with every word until it was painfully obvious to them both about where this was now heading.Where this had always been heading.Sherlock slowly and sensually pulled John towards him by his belt and wrapped his arms around him before he replied in his husky baritone voice.

"Not normally but as it turns out there are two exceptions to that rule and they both go by the name of Watson."

That first kiss was like nothing either had ever experienced before or would again.A lifetime of love,want, passion and loyalty poured from them until their legs became weak with the strain of it all and they collapsed down onto the floor of the nursery still holding one another.They held one another for what seemed like hours that night.This moment reminded John so much of that.It had been enough to bring them together, to know that he could actually really feel things like that for another human being.This was another of the many reinforcements of that .

John was roused back to the present day by his anxious looking daughter.

"Don’t worry.He did something similar to me a long time ago but with staring…….give him…about ten mins…it means he loves you,he is thrilled you want to call him dad and if you thought he was protective before,God help you now.Good luck getting married anytime before forty."

"What?"

As if breaking some kind of spell,John’s words and Cheryl’s response seemed to have the power to snap Sherlock out of it.He released his daughter from the bear hug and threw himself up from his chair.As he twirled and skipped and flung himself around the kitchen, he could only say.

"He’s just kidding.I accept! of course I accept.Wait there I need my violin."

Then he ran into the living room,picked up his instrument,asked John and their daughter to join him and then played for the first time,the secret song he had written especially for Cheryl for the day she would willingly ask to be his.A song that had been composed on the very first evening she entered Baker Street with her widowed father,snuggled herself sleepily into his side and wrapped her tiny fingers around his hand.

A song he had entitled,’My Centre”….


End file.
